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Hardware - Ferrules - Brass

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Why isn't brass a good material for ferrules? Of course it gets oxidized, but anything else? Too brittle? More brittle than aluminum?  I think it's beautiful, and color suites fine with bamboo, especially flamed bamboo. Much cheaper too.  (Pekka Hyvonen)

Brass has been used for ferrules  for years and years.   (David Ray)

Brass is fine for ferrules. I use it on my double-handed rods, in part because of its availability but also because I like the look of it when it darkens with age. You can see some of my brass ferrules at here.  (Ron Grantham)

What suppliers carry brass ferrules? I would be interested in using them for some shop rods  just for testing  tapers,  etc.  (Philip Smith)

Those ferrules are very nice.  May I ask if the slide length on double handers' ferrules is similar to full-size Super Swiss/Super Z or more like a truncated?  (Joe West)

I use a 4:1 ratio which is very close to the full size Super Z.  (Ron Grantham)

Brass is a very good material for making ferrules. When I use brass (I prefer aluminum) I use a naval brass - alloy 485. I has a yield strength of 53,000 psi. Nickel silver has a yield strength of 50,000 to 70,000 depending on the alloy and if it is tempered to half hard or full hard. Another excellent ferrule material is 642 aluminum bronze. It's sometimes listed as Duronz and it looks like the Duronz that Winston uses. 642 aluminum bronze is listed at 60,000 psi yield strength, but is harder to machine than brass or aluminum.  (Darryl Hayashida)

How is the machinability of aluminum bronze Vs. nickel silver?  (Todd Enders)

A lot depends on what alloy NS you are using. 12% NS is easier to machine than 18% NS, and NS can be tempered to different degrees. Full hard temper or spring temper is harder to machine than annealed or half hard. If you use 18% NS at full hard temper it will be about the same as 642 aluminum bronze.  (Darryl Hayashida)

Just finished my first ferrule, following the instructions in Bob Milward's book.   It looks like hell, but this means there's only one way to go and that's up.

I need instructions on how to solder brass.  Any suggestions?

I was amazed at how easy it was to force the drift pin into the male section. 

I wonder about the strength of the ferrules.  The one I've completed looks a little week to me.   Might need an extra piece of brass tubing around the center of the female.  (Terry Kirkpatrick)

Even heating, the brass has to be clean and  you need to use flux. You are using a torch I presume? And brass solder, not electrical solder? How are you going to cut the slits for the tabs?

It appeared to me to be easier to machine a ferrule out of rod stock, but then you would need a lathe. With a lathe you could try making aluminum ferrules as well as brass or nickel silver. The aluminum ferrules I made are working out very well, and a lathe helps with turning the ferrule stations, making reel seats and handles.  (Darryl Hayashida)

I have made three sets of these and used Loctite instead of solder. They have had little use, just some lawn casting to test rods before finishing them out.  Mine did not have ends attached.  I am thinking of trying the square tubing to make a quad ferrule using the same technique.  (Scott Grady)